Cartoon by Ma Hongliang

On July 4, the annual Independence Day of the U.S., many Americans were worrying about their financial problems.

A news report published on the website of USA Today on June 28 said about 52 percent of Americans participating in a USA TODAY/Suffolk Poll felt the U.S. is too expensive to live in.

"Everything costs so much. Food is high. Gas is high," the article said, quoting an interviewee.

About seven in 10 Americans said stifling inflation and the economy are the nation's top problems today, according to a new Pew Center survey, the article said.

"Inflation may be slowing after a dramatic spike in 2022, but many Americans across the country are still feeling pain in the grocery store," said an article published on the website of U.S. News & World Report on June 30.

"Prices for all food purchased for the home at markets, grocery stores and other food retailers do typically rise from one month to the next," the article noted.

"Research suggests most Americans are still feeling the strain of high food costs," the article said, adding that the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey showed that nearly 82 percent of adults were estimated to be either somewhat or very concerned about more price increases in the near future.